“We have our family, we have seven grandchildren and another due any day,” Cecile said. “Life is good.”

“We could have had the grandchildren in the house, because they had just left,” Roland said.

The couple has also found support in their neighbours, who have offered up everything to help – from shelter to clothing.
“All of this block here,” Roland said. “They’re just amazing.”

For now, the couple is staying in a hotel – but they hope to rebuild in the same community.

“We’re going to look for a place to rent, and try and carry on,” Cecile said. “[We’ll] see what the insurance adjustors do for us, and life goes on.”

The couple is also planning to go ahead with a vacation that had been planned before the fire – luckily; their passports had been kept in a fire-proof safe, and have already been retrieved by firefighters.

With files from Bill Fortier

Photos

A house fire in St. Albert on Wednesday night caused an estimated $750,000 of damage.

A fire that started in a garage spread to a house in St. Albert on Boxing Day. Photo Courtesy: @Cassandranav